Detroit Muscle Press Releases

Muscle draftees could have immediate impact +

After three consecutive playoff appearances, the Detroit Muscle entered the 2026 draft in the unfamiliar position of trying to find players who could have an immediate impact on the roster this year. Eschewing the team's normal focus on balanced players who don't get into foul trouble, the Muscle instead picked a pair of talented guards who have great motors and can put up some points, but have weaknesses on the defensive end and might have some trouble staying on the floor for big minutes due to fouls. With the #14 pick, the Muscle selected 20-year-old Blair Bedard, a 6'4" sophomore shooting guard from Northwestern. After a pedestrian freshman year, Bedard burst onto the Big Ten scene in 2026, averaging 15.6…Read More

Muscle still get Lottery-pick talent in the Draft +

After making the playoffs for the first time since 2015, the Detroit Muscle entered the 2024 draft just hoping to find an OBWL-ready backup with their mid-first round pick, as has been their strategy in the past two drafts. For instance, the Muscle selected SF Ismael Arias early in the 2nd round in the 2022 draft and saw his contribute solid minutes for the team that season (4.7 ppg, 1.9 rpg in 12 mpg over 68 games). Last year, the Muscle had the #25 pick and selected SF Noah Schlosser, who likewise contributed quality minutes off the bench as a rookie (2.7 ppg in 7.9 mpg over 29 games). But the Muscle war room watched in shock as the 7th…Read More

We've got the Lefevre. +

Detroit, MI> When the Detroit Muscle gave sharpshooting SF Matt Torres a 4 year/$58.24MM contract, they did so with high hopes that Torres would be the piece that would get them back towards respectability in 2022. Instead, the Muscle stalled at the starting gate, losing their first 11 games and featuring one of the worst defensive performances the OBWL has ever seen. While Torres might have been earning his money--scoring 18.6 ppg with a TS% of 57.3 and adding 2.4 apg and 4.2 rpg--it seemed obvious that the 2022 season was not going to be the renaissance that GM Mark Sands had hoped. Today the Muscle moved on, sending Torres to Philadelphia in a three-way trade that brought three prospects…Read More

We've got the Lefevre. +

Detroit, MI> When the Detroit Muscle gave sharpshooting SF Matt Torres a 4 year/$58.24MM contract, they did so with high hopes that Torres would be the piece that would get them back towards respectability in 2022. Instead, the Muscle stalled at the starting gate, losing their first 11 games and featuring one of the worst defensive performances the OBWL has ever seen. While Torres might have been earning his money--scoring 18.6 ppg with a TS% of 57.3 and adding 2.4 apg and 4.2 rpg--it seemed obvious that the 2022 season was not going to be the renaissance that GM Mark Sands had hoped. Today the Muscle moved on, sending Torres to Philadelphia in a three-way trade that brought three prospects…Read More

Muscle add big talent at #7 +

Years ago, the Muscle traded away their franchise centerpiece big man in an attempt to reboot the team and bring them back into contention. Six years later, the perpetual rebuild might have finally come full circle, as the Muscle used the #7 overall pick to draft a guy who might be their next superstar--Maryland Center John Weatherford. The 19-year-old from Zachary, LA was the #4 overall prospect coming out of high school in 2021. He turned in a solid freshman season for the Terrapins, averaging 9.5 ppg and 7.9 rpg. "John is the full package," stated GM Mark Sands. "This guy can score inside and outside, pull down rebounds, play some great D in the paint and even generate some…Read More

Good start by Muscle threatened by injury +

2021 was expected to be another painful year in the motor city. Coming off of the worst season in franchise history, the Muscle committed to a total rebuild by shedding veteran salary and making a total commitment to youth. But a funny thing happened on the inevitable march to the #1 overall pick--it turns out that the Muscle are a pretty deep team getting solid contribution from their bench. After 17 games, the Muscle check in with a 9-8 record, good for 3rd place in the American East Division and ahead of pre-season darling Philadelphia. The Muscle's surge to mediocrity has been fueled thanks in large part to a rebuilt front court featuring three first-round draft picks. Starting PF Chris…Read More

Cantell to Detroit +

The Detroit Muscle are starved for offense. In 2018, the Muscle scored 96.8 ppg, "good" for 13th in the conference and 22nd overall in the OBWL. They missed the playoffs. They dipped even further in 2019, having one of the worst scoring teams (14th CR/26th TR) scoring just 89.7 ppg. They missed the playoffs. In the first 21 games of the 2020 season, the Muscle found themselves once again in a huge hole, thanks to a paltry 92.4 ppg (14th CR/27th TR). Part of the reason for their offensive woes has been C Shawn Pace, who has fallen steadily since 2017 and is now essentially an offensive black hole at the center position (3.9 ppg, 0.74 PPS, .354 TS%). So…Read More

Muscle 2020 Season Preview +

It has been a long time in the wilderness for the Detroit Muscle, since they last were in serious competition for a playoff position in the 2016 season. A combination of badly-timed key injuries, the surprising collapse of Daryl Shipes as an effective scorer in 2017 and 2018, the loss of two lottery picks from the Shipes trade, and poor other trades have left the Muscle languishing in 30ish win limbo for the past three seasons. Since the disastrous attempt to go "all in" by acquiring Shipes, for the past two years the Muscle have concentrated on creating cap space and looking to 2021 as the year of re-emergence. Can they compete a year early? They better, since Detroit traded…Read More

Muscle take big risk for star rookie PG +

For three seasons, the Detroit Muscle have been too bad to make the playoffs but not bad enough to land one of the top picks in the OBWL draft. They found themselves in that situation again, sitting at #8 while player after player on the top of their draft list went off the board. But instead of selecting a second-tier talent in the draft, the Muscle instead traded the #8 pick and their first-round (and possible lottery) pick in the 2021 draft for 19-year-old PG Xander Remington from the University of California, who was drafted #2 by the Boston Buzzards. "Xander gives us a player with superstar potential, which is something our roster really lacks," stated GM Mark Sands. "This…Read More

Muscle Big Man Duo off to hot D-League Start +

Rebuilding is hard. When the Muscle traded superstar Trevon Booth, they knew that the 2019 season would be a challenge. But the Muscle have struggled mightily out of the gate, losing 12 of the 13 games dating back to the November 11, 2019 game where star 6th man Hollis Warren went down with injury. And a 3-13 record in the ultra-competitive American Conference is probably a death blow to the team's chances to make the playoffs once again (at least this time, the Muscle have their own 1st round pick). But that is not to say the team is without hope for the future. With the 10th pick in the 2018 draft, the Muscle took 20-year-old center Darrick Vanpelt. After…Read More

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